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Soft and Sweet Twisted Giant Cinnamon Roll

A twisted giant cinnamon roll? What could be sweeter?! Roll up your sleeves and prepare to dig in to this sweet, buttery, special-occasion treat you’ll want to devour in a flash. Somebody get the milk!

I could care less about the calories. What does matter to me is that I made it, and I know what’s in it. After all, if you’re going to go to the trouble to make this, you should give it your best.

And I know this looks pretty complicated. It isn’t. If you are used to working with bread and dough it will be a snap for you. If you aren’t used to it, don’t be discouraged! Do your best. Just give it a try. If things don’t work like you’d hoped this time, try again.

That’s what makes a good cook.

Can I make this twisted giant cinnamon roll ahead or freeze it?

Yes you can. To make it ahead, prepare it through step 9 (before the second rise)and stick it in the fridge up to a day ahead of when you need it. To freeze your twisted giant cinnamon roll, twist it into a circle and put it on a cookie sheet and freeze it. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and foil. To thaw, bring it out the night before, place it in your pan, and leave it covered in your fridge or out on the counter for a couple of hours until it doubles in size. Then bake as directed.

How do I shape this twisted giant cinnamon roll of yours?

To help you with the shaping, check out these steps. I thought the directions might sound a little fuzzy to read, so hopefully this will help. Just do your best and get it in the pan. It will be beautiful when it rises and bakes. To test for doneness, I use a thin pairing knife to gently separate the center dough and see if it looks like bread (firm with small holes in it) or if it looks like dough. If it’s dough, it goes back in.

Make sure to cover your bread with some foil halfway through. All the sugar in the dough will cause it to get really dark (or even burn) if you don’t.

Twisted Giant Cinnamon Roll

Dig out your cast iron and bake up a showstopping twisted giant cinnamon roll. Sure to get all the oohs and ahhh's you can handle.

Course
Dessert

Cuisine
American

Prep Time2hours30minutes

Cook Time40minutes

Total Time3hours10minutes

Servings12people

Calories616.5kcal

AuthorRachel Ballard

Ingredients

1/4 cup warm water

1 packageinstant yeastnot rapid rise

1 teaspoon sugar

2eggs

1 cupsugardivided in half

1cupbutterdivided in half, softened

2cups milk 2% or whole

1teaspoonkosher salt

5cupsbread flour

1/2cupbrown sugar

2 teaspoonscinnamon

4ouncescream cheesesoftened

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoonsmilk

1/2teaspoonvanilla extract

Instructions

In a large bowl add the water, yeast and teaspoon sugar. Allow to sit 5 minutes so it gets foamy.

Add 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, 1/2 cup butter and milk and stir to combine.

Add salt and 4 cups of the flour. Stir to make a sticky dough. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the remaining flour on your surface and turn out your dough. Add the remaining flour on top and knead, working in the flour until the dough is smooth and elastic--about 5 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Cover and rise 1 hour or until doubled in size. (This can take up to two hours.)

Transfer the dough to a floured surface and roll to a rectangle--about 18x16 or so. Spread with the remaining 1/2 cup of butter. In a small bowl mix the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the brown sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle this evenly over the dough.

Roll up, starting with the long end and pinch the seam shut with your fingers. Turn the roll seam side down.

Using a sharp knife, starting about 2 inches from one end, cut through the center of the roll all the way down the length. Twist the two cut pieces over each other al the way to the end.

Grease a 12" cast iron skillet. Gently lift the dough into the pan, forming a circle and tuck the end into the center.

Let rise 1 hour or until doubled and then bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes until set in the center. Cover with foil halfway through to prevent over browning.

While the bread bakes, make the frosting. Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Spread on while the roll is warm.

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Hey there busy cook.

I'm Rachel and in my kitchen you'll learn that easy comfort food is possible no matter how hectic your schedule gets. Join me as we gather around the table for a taste of life in the country and everything you'll need to make meals you'll be proud to serve even when you're short on time.